God of Second Chances

 

Jeremiah 6.
It’s a pretty amazing chapter filled with all kinds of great insight. I feel it’s especially important to make note of chapters like this one at times like we’re facing now, as a nation.

It’s a warning from the Lord, brought to the people of Jerusalem by the prophet, Jeremiah. In fact, in my bible, this portion of scripture is entitled, “Jerusalem’s Last Warning.”

This warning was specifically for God’s people to arouse and find shelter for the coming destruction that was upon them for their sin.

It’s the same call I feel in my spirit that is on His people in the world today.

At this point in history, the people of Jerusalem were living corrupt lives, particularly by their indulgences in worldly pleasures, their indolence (laziness), and their inability to live with any urgency or fear and reverence of the Lord.

My commentary says this, “It is folly to waste time when we have eternal salvation to work out, and the enemies of salvation to fight against.”

There was work to be done for the betterment of their souls, and people were ignoring all warning signs. They had become numb to God’s goodness, insensible to their idleness, and careless and secure in their troubled condition.

And yet even in this we see God’s loving and gracious kindness emerge.

The God of mercy is ever patient, and long-suffering even for the sinner.


We see it in verse 8… He tells us what the Lord says, “Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust.”

There’s hope in that one single line!

Even when there’s plenty of reasons to leave the nations in their mess, God is still good.
He says it in verse 19, “It is the fruit of their own schemes, because their refuse to listen to Me. They have rejected My Word.”

But even so - we serve a MERCIFUL God!

And so again, even when there’s plenty of reasons to leave us in our mess, God, in His sweet mercy, relentlessly pursues us and is faithfully earnest with us. He chases us. His desire for us is wholeness and righteousness through repentance and reformation.

He wants our hearts.
He gives us second chances again and again and again.
To make things right.
To choose the better way.

He is a good, good, GOOD Father!

Amen??